Graded on a Curve:
Daryl Hall and John Oates, Greatest Hits, Rock ‘n Soul Part 1

One incontrovertible thing you should know about Daryl Hall; he has an ego the size of Liechtenstein. He’s the guy who said of his other half, John Oates, “I’m 90 % and he’s 10%, and that’s the way it is.” Then again, it’s hard to argue with his math. He never said it in so many words, but Oates’ chief contribution to Hall and Oates was his mustache. Hall did the bulk of the heavy lifting, writing more than half of their songs and almost always handling lead vocals, having honed the former skill writing songs with Chubby Checker and other noteworthies in Philadelphia’s equivalent to the Brill Building and the latter skill singing soul acapella on the streetlight lit corners of West Philadelphia.

Hall certainly has alternative bona fides that Oates doesn’t possess, having recorded with Robert Fripp and all, not that it matters really, because what the duo bedazzled the world with in the eighties, when they ruled the world, were their blue-eyed soul vocals and the carefully crafted and always catchy hooks that made their songs—which blended soul and new wave so seamlessly—irresistible. I hated everything on the radio in the eighties, but when Hall and Oates would come on with one of their long list of hits, something inside of me would surrender. Sure I loved the Meat Puppets and the Minutemen, but wretched with self-hatred and shame I could not resist singing along with the “rock and soul” (their term) perfection of “Maneater,” no matter how hard I tried.

People tend to forget the band’s early dabbling in folk, soul, rock, and pop, but an early tune off the excellent 1973 LP Abandoned Luncheonette, the magnificent “She’s Gone,” was a harbinger of both their future sound and success. It’s unfortunately absent from this “best of” compilation, which also unfortunately includes a handful of “deep cuts,” including the horn-heavy “It’s a Laugh,” the nondescript “Wait for Me,” and “Did It in a Minute,” the excessively new wave “Family Man,” “Adult Education,” and “Method of Modern Love,” and the so-so “Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid.” Personally I’d have preferred a tighter package that included only the radio hits, which is why that A grade at the end of my piece is followed by a minus sign. But we rarely get what we want in this world, as is proven by the fact that thanks to my immense wealth I have long been trying to buy Oates’ mustache to add to my collection—which includes Burt Reynolds’ classic stash—but Oates simply refuses to part with it.

As for the greats, they’re all here; the lovely soul of “Sara Smile,” the more pugnacious “Rich Girl,” and the very new wave “Private Eyes,” with its great percussive chorus and backing vocals. “Kiss on My List” is sheer perfection, its melody lovely, and its vocals the epitome of cool. And that chorus! And I don’t even know where to start with “Maneater.” It’s new wave rhythm is totally addictive, the horn a stroke of genius, and the chorus (“Oooh here she comes/Watch out boy she’ll chew you up/Oooh here she comes/She’s a maneater”) one of the highlights of Western Civilization. I certainly prefer it to Kant, Hegel, and Marx combined. And Hall’s vocal extrapolations are tres cool.

The very soulful “One on One” isn’t a favorite, even with its unbearably lovely chorus, excellent sax solo, and superb closing vocals, but I have no qualms whatsoever about “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” with its funky instrumental opening and its flypaper chorus. It’s the perfect conjunction of soul and new wave, includes a hip sax solo, and vocals so lush you might as well be in a tropical jungle. New wave predominates on the pneumatic “You Make My Dreams,” on which Hall outdoes himself in the vocals department and the drums are guaranteed to make you want to dance. “Say It Isn’t So” has never been a favorite of mine, but I can understand its appeal, which lies mainly in its excellent chorus.

Meanwhile, “Out of Touch” also employs a new wave construction, over which Hall pours his soulful vocals. The chorus is as contagious as Ebola, and I love the way Hall sings “You’re out of touch/I’m out of time/But I’m out of my head/When you’re not around.” And there’s a lot of funky shit going down behind the vocals, to give the song that collard green sheen. Finally, there’s the duo’s take on The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” on which they swap vocals, giving us a rare glimpse of Oates singing lead. I’m not impressed, and think the song would be better had Hall sung the thing all by himself. But overall they acquit themselves quite nicely, capturing the spirit of the original, especially as they near the ending and let their soul selves get down, just like it was the sixties and Hall was still standing beneath a streetlight in West Philly, letting it all hang out.

Hall and Oates set blue-eyed soul on a collision course with the pop conventions of new wave, and it is this unique fusion that turned them into superstars. Hall has been quoted as saying, “I didn’t follow formulas. I didn’t follow other people. You listen to my music, it doesn’t sound like anybody else. Nobody.” Which is true, except that he did follow a formula—his own. Hall and Oates, man and mustache, truly did devise a sui generis genre all their own, and like them or loathe them, that is no small accomplishment. Me, I gave up trying to deny their lure years ago. I had to find a place for them in my pantheon, amongst Cows and Killdozer. And I’m certain other indie types found themselves in the same boat. And that’s all I have to say about that, except watch out boy, they’ll chew you up, and you’ll like it.

GRADED ON A CURVE:
A-

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